How many POV's?

[Down the well]

Down the well, I enjoyed innumerable beverages in my day. I miss them. Not one drop has passed my lips since I went on the water wagon in '96 though.

Sorry. My bad. I guess I skimmed the top of your post.

[Anobile1]

This has pretty much been said before, but I wanted to add my own comment to the pile.

I think it really depends on the book. My current novel is kind of event-driven; It's more about the event in "history" (this being an alternate universe sci-fi fantasy novel) than any individual character. It's like writing a novel about how the U.S.A. was created. You would only get a small part of the story if it was told in one point of view. So in my case, I've ended up with at least six different third-person points of view (could be more by the time I'm done revising), and all of them are necessary to get the whole picture and the most out of the story.

Whatever the situation, I just remain true to the story.

I find what works best for me for developing characters is (since I usually write in third person) to write a chapter of the book from their point of view in first person, even if none of the novel is actually in their point of view.

[bcomet]

I've recently read a number of YA novels that have multiple POVs. It was surprising to me. I didn't like it. However the books are best sellers and work anyway.

In YA, especially, I have observed that first person POV works very well.

Fantasy or epic or literary seem more capable of multiple POV. If the story can't be told inside one person, then there needs to be either omniscient third person or multiple. That works very well for me in certain story settings and types.

I have found that the story dictates POV, i.e. how is a particular story best told?

I love omniscient for fantasy. Sometimes it is better to just focus on main characters though as far as being able to get into their heads. Other times, hey, the more heads the funnier (with the focus always to keep the protagonist's (or protagonists') story (stories) moving forward).

With a love story or YA, first person works better in many instances because it can bring the reader up close and personal.

I am always learning about this as I write. The other comments here add to my understanding too. Thanks.

[Claudie]

The reason first person POV works so well with YA is that it allows the delivery of a one-sided, mostly black-and-white story - which, in fantasy, is often what writers strive for. You want the readers to cheer for your protagonist, not to be stuck in an internal debate about which of the two POVs he should side for.

The story does dictate what POV should be used, but it's not all that matters in the decision. Your choice of POV changes the impression others get out of your story. A simple example is a story between two rivals. If you stick to first-person POV, then the narrating character will be put in a favourable light. His story is inevitably biased. If you use two POV, you have both sides of the story, and it changes how the reader perceives this rivalry.

Both are good options. It all depends on what you want out of this story.

For the record, I'm not that much a fan of omniscient. I've seen it done well, of course, but you have to be careful not to go head-hopping. It's also a thinner line to walk when you seek to hide information from your readers. After all, the narrator knows all, so how do you justify this hiding without it becoming cheating? Possible, but hard.

[cheekychook]

I haven't read many recent YA books, but a favorite from my own YA years was Paul Zindel's The Pigman. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's the story of a teenage boy and girl who decide to write about an experience they share. They take turns, alternating chapters, each speaking in first person. It was not only very effective at giving the reader a real feel for each character, but the style also left a lasting impact, because I remember it even though it's been over two decades since I last read it.

There are lots of ways to kind of sneak in other people's thoughts, even in a first person pov story, you just have to incorporate them in ways that seem natural and don't come off as obvious devices. In The Last Convertible Anton Myrer tells the story of five friends who meet in Harvard right before World War II begins. It's first person pov, but is told in a way that you wind up feeling like you know all the characters. The story spans several decades, following the lives of all of them, so the first person pov needed some creativity to cover all the different peoples' stories. Most of it is done through conversations, but for the central part of the book, when all the characters are separated by the war, there are letters interspersed, as well as song lyrics, and quotes from V-records the women cut and sent to the guys overseas. It's something that would be really hokey if it were poorly done, but in this case it worked (for me, at least).

First person pov is the easiest way to get the reader really close to your pov character, it's getting them close to the other characters that's a challenge.

Third person makes it harder to get as close to any of them, but it really can be done.

I think it very much depends on the genre, the characters, the storyline, the writing style, and the personal preference/ability of the writer as to what pov or combined pov's will best tell a particular tale. As I've said, my WIP is definitely best told through third person multiple, but I think a lot of that has to do with the way I write. And, lucky for me, Commercial Fiction isn't married to a particular pov.